The Fate of America's Iconic 747 Jet Is in Hands of Moscow Firm Time is running out for Boeing Co.’s iconic 747 jumbo jetliner, the plane that brought global travel to the masses in the 1970s.

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The storied 747 has fallen from favor in the modern airline industry as carriers turn to twin-engine aircraft that can fly farther and use less fuel, like Boeing’s own 777 or the Airbus A350. Sales of the cavernous freight model have waned as well, done in by an eight-year slump in global air shipping.

The plane can’t even catch a break in Washington. An order to replace the quarter-century-old 747s used as Air Force One to ferry U.S. presidents is running into congressional budget flak.

Now, as Boeing weighs the 747’s future, a revival hinges heavily on an unlikely source: a Russian freight company that promises to buy 18 over the next few years. If that pledge falls through, and finding financing won’t be easy, Boeing faces a tough choice: End production and take a financial hit, or try to limp along until a cargo rebound yields more sales. For now, Boeing’s backlog is enough to keep building 747s only through mid-2017.

“The question is, can they get enough orders in the next five years to keep the production line open?” said George Dimitroff, head of valuations for consultant Ascend Worldwide. “If they close it, there is nothing to replace it.”